Featured Resource
This section contains e-resources updates that can help you make effective use of e-Learning in your teaching or support role. Whether it is a curriculum-specfic resource, an e-learning related tool or theme, keep an eye out on this page. Please email any useful resources for inclusion to Vinay Markandya (v.markandya@kent.ac.uk).
AccessApps sets the user free
AccessApps is an initiative developed by the Scottish JISC Regional Support Centres in cooperation with JISC TechDis. It consists of over 50 open-source and freeware assistive technology applications which can be entirely used from a USB stick on a Windows computer.
Application supplied with AccessApps include:
- Open Office
- Freemind for mind mapping
- Sunbird calendar
- AMIS Daisy reader
- DSpeech text-to-speech utility
- TheSage dictionary and thesaurus
- Mozilla Firefox and WebbIE browsers
- Click-N-Type virtual keyboard utility
- Artweaver art package
- Audacity for audio recording and editing
- GIMP for editing images
- VLC multi-format video player
- CamStudio Portable
- KompoZer web editor
- Scribus desktop publisher
- Wink desktop recorder
- 7-Zip Portable file archiver
- ClamWin antivirus
- Sumatra PDF for reading PDF documents
- TopOCR for converting images to text
and a host of other games, utilities and tools.
AccessApps will run without needing to install anything on a computer and provide a range of e-learning solutions to support writing, reading and planning as well as visual and mobility difficulties.
The use of freely available portable applications also offers learners the opportunity to try out assistive technologies and assess their suitability without the financial outlay necessary for commercial applications. While some learners will need more functionality than the free version provides, by trying the free version they gain a clearer idea of what they want to look for in a commercial version, and can make informed intelligent choices.
AccessApps particularly benefits users needing to access different PCs across different sites - for example in Work-Based Learning (WBL) or Adult Community Learning (ACL). AccessApps has already generated a great deal of interest from a variety of education providers, including those from the Offender Learning, WBL and ACL sectors as well as mainstream HE and FE due to the flexibility, ease of use and low cost of the technologies.
All the software is downloadable from the RSC Scotland North & East (see link below). There are three download options: Lite (64MB download, 111MB extracted size so requires at least a 128MB memory stick); The Works (739MB download and 1.1 GB extracted size so requires a 2GB memory stick as a minimum); and Pick and Mix (which is self-explanatory).
Links
To download go to:
http://www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/accessapps/index.php
An overview of all the contents at a glance:
http://www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/accessapps/compare.php
The Scottish RSCs' Access & Inclusion Blog with many video tutorials for the featured Applications:
http://www.scottish-rscs.org.uk/access/?page_id=217
Guides in various formats:
http://www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/accessapps/helpguide.php
Featured Resources Archive
April 2008
March 2008
January 2008
November 2007
19th Century British Library newspapers
October 2007
RSC SE e-Learning Fair presentations
September 2007
July 2007
June 2007
Video case studies - 21st century learning and teaching
May 2007
Online Interactive Copyright Tool
TurnitinUK Plagiarism detection software - an introduction
April 2007
TV and film on the move and demand
JISC Animation explains Federation
March 2007
February 2007
Cha Cha - guided search engine
January 2007
Podcast directory for educators
December 2006
Video Jug - life explained. On film
November 2006
The Great Free Online Course Hunt
October 2006
September 2006
Math Tutor - video iPod downloads
Furl - share and access peer reviewed websites
July 2006
Intute - the service formerly known as the Resource Discovery Network
June 2006
Internet Detective - Back on the Case
May 2006
Take a tour of the Dewey Decimal Classification system
April 2006
Making the Modern World - SCience, History & Technology
March 2006
LSDA interactive learning materials
RDN/ Intute case studies for FE
February 2006
JORUM - a community for sharing
January 2006
CDX e-Textbooks and videos for Automotive Instructors
December 2005
November 2005
Geoff Rebbeck’s 27 Moodle tips
October 2005
Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping Free to FE
KickstartTV Interactive Digital TV
British Library Online Gallery
September 2005
August 2005
wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
RDN free online subject packs for FE
The Paperboy - newspapers online
Learning Curve - bringing history to life
Know UK & European Sources Online
Key Skills Builder - check, learn and apply key skills
Eduserve Chest virtual FE exhibition
@Work Essential skills for the workplace
Free online content authoring tool
DfES Skills for life, embedded learning portal